Fact or Fiction: TV Crime Fighting

"CSI," "Law and Order" and other crime and forensic investigation shows present themselves as grounded in reality. But just how real are they? Take our fact or fiction quiz to find out what you really know about the truth underlying these programs.

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Question 1 of 20

Fact or fiction: Real crime scene investigators (CSI) prefer to search for evidence at night and in the dark.

Fact

Fiction

Light is essential in proper crime scene investigation. Not only do real CSI personnel bring floodlights for work at night, they typically insist on waiting for daylight before completing their search for evidence.

Question 2 of 20

Fact or fiction: Crime scene investigators are not sworn law enforcement officers.

Fact

Most real CSIs are civilians, usually with a specialized scientific education.

Fiction

Question 3 of 20

Fact or fiction: Upon encountering a murder victim, it's standard procedure for law enforcement to look for some sort of identification.

Fact

Fiction

The first thing a law enforcement officer must do when he or she comes across a dead body is secure the entire area, making sure there are no suspects or other victims nearby. The body is under the jurisdiction of the coroner's department so any other law enforcement officer, including CSIs, would never touch it -- even to look for ID.

Because most are not law enforcement officers, real-life CSI personnel don't need guns or bulletproof vests. Instead, they wear standard issue uniforms and a badge similar to, but not exactly like, those worn by police officers.

Question 5 of 20

Fact of fiction: The original "CSI" TV series is set in Las Vegas.

Fact

The first episode of "CSI" aired in 2000 and was set in Vegas. Subsequent "CSI" series are set in Miami and New York.

Fiction

Question 6 of 20

Fact or fiction: Most real life CSI personnel are civilians because of budgetary reasons.

Fact

It's far more expensive to hire CSIs as actual police officers, who often earn lifetime benefits, including pensions and healthcare.

Fiction

Question 7 of 20

Fact or fiction: The "CSI Effect" refers to skills criminals have learned by watching crime shows.

Fact

Fiction

The "CSI Effect" refers to the expectation by juries that all cases will include some type of forensics evidence.

Question 8 of 20

Fact or fiction: It's easy to obtain DNA evidence at a crime scene.

Fact

Fiction

It can be extremely difficult for investigators to find DNA at a crime scene. Often, there is little or no blood, for instance, and it's also hard to lift fingerprints from certain objects, like guns.

Question 9 of 20

Fact or fiction: Real-life CSI teams don't drive Hummers.

Fact

Hummers are expensive and most budget-crunched police departments can't afford them, let alone the gas to run them. Instead, CSIs units drive things like vans with the seats taken out or sometimes SUVs.

Fiction

Question 10 of 20

Fact or fiction: It takes weeks for DNA evidence to be processed.

Fact

Unlike on TV where forensics and DNA results come back in minutes or hours, the pace of real life DNA examination takes weeks, or sometimes much longer if a case is not a high priority.

Fiction

Question 11 of 20

Fact or fiction: Covering a dead body with a sheet or a blanket is always a good thing to do.

Fact

Fiction

Covering a body actually risks contaminating evidence with foreign DNA, making it harder to get evidence that will hold up in court.

Question 12 of 20

Fact or fiction: In real life, family members are allowed to enter a crime scene to see a murdered relative.

Fact

Fiction

Crime scenes are tightly controlled because of fears that evidence will be removed, tampered with or contaminated.

Question 13 of 20

Fact or fiction: The CSI franchise was created by Jerry Bruckheimer.

Fact

Fiction

Anthony Zuiker is the creator and executive producer of CSI.

Question 14 of 20

Fact or fiction: It's against the law for real world police officers to touch a dead body they encounter.

Fact

Dead bodies are under the jurisdiction of the coroner's department.

Fiction

Question 15 of 20

Fact or fiction: It's impossible to obtain DNA evidence from a car that has been burned or cleaned with bleach.

Fact

Both bleach and fire will pretty much erase all remnants of DNA.

Fiction

Question 16 of 20

Fact or fiction: Real CSI lab workers are generalists, and have a wide range of knowledge about several scientific topics.

Fact

Fiction

CSI crime lab jobs require specialized education and training, which is different depending on whether someone does toxicology, ballistics or DNA work. Most lab scientists specialize in one of these fields, perhaps two, but it's unlikely you'll find one that's a generalists.

Question 17 of 20

Fact of fiction: It's the job of real CSI personnel to figure out who committed a crime.

Fact

Fiction

Only on TV. Real CSI technicians assist investigators and detectives solve the crimes, but only in a support function.

Question 18 of 20

Fact or fiction: Both Justin Bieber and Roger Daltrey have appeared on episodes of CSI.

Fact

Roger Daltrey, the lead singer of The Who, appeared in a 2006 episode, and the ubiquitous teen sensation Justin Bieber has been in numerous episodes.

Fiction

Question 19 of 20

Fact or fiction: A sample of DNA is not sufficient to obtain a suspect's photograph and criminal record.

Fact

Most police databases with information about a person's criminal history and mug shot are not linked to those with DNA information.

Crime scene search methods are methodical and include line searches where people stand shoulder to shoulder -- a technique used in order to find a small item in a large field -- or grid searches, where an area is divided into sections.